Web-to-tube fastenings



April 11, 1961 H. KRAMER 2,978,

WEB-TO-TUBE FASTENINGS Filed March 13, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g n iil mvgj K n n r: u.

INVENTOR HYMAN KRAMER ATTORNEY April 11, 1961 I KRAMER 2,978,775

WEB-TO-TUBE FASTENINGS Filed March 13, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .64 -Fl6.7 l0 F/6.7A

INVENTOR HYMAN KR AM ER ATTORNEY April 11, 1961 H. KRAMER WEB-TO-TUBE FASTENINGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 13, 1958 FIG. 15

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INVENTOR HYMAN KRAMER ATTORNEY WEB-TO-TUBE FASTENINGS Hyman Kramer, 2764 E. 16th St., Brooklyn, NX.

Filed Mar. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 721,233 18 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) This invention relates to improvements in web-to-tube fastenings and will be described in its application to tubular frame furniture wherein the improved fastening serves to effect securement of the flexible (fabric or plastic) webbing strips forming the seats and/or backs to the tubular metal (usually aluminum) framing thereof.

It is of course well known to secure the seatand backforming webbing strips to the tubular frames of so-called tubular metal furniture by means of buckles, clips and like fastening appliances, but the prior fasteners and the fastening procedures required in their usage leave much to be desired. That is to say, the prior fasteners if at all efiective were expensive to make, or they required skill and considerable time in their connection to either or both the webbing strips and the tubular framing, or they involved laborious manipulation to complete the fastening. Thus, when the large number of fastenings required for each piece of furniture, i.e. two per each of the numerous webbing strips employed, is considered, it becomes readily apparent that the lack of a simple yet effective webbing-strip fastening has had detrimental effect in that it has unduly increased the cost of manufacture of tubular frame furniture.

Stated broadly, a major object of this invention is the provision of webbing strip-to-tubular frame fastening which is simple in both structure and mode of application, and which at the same time is efficient and thoroughly dependable in use.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a webbing strip-to-tubular frame form of fastening appliance which may be simply associated with the end of the webbing strip to be secured, and thereupon secured to the tubular frame in a single operation easy of performance, yet which is such as to insure a positive connection between webbing strip and tubular framing.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a webbing strip-to-tubular frame fastening which employs a simple drive-type fastener whose construction lends itself admirably to its being attached as by means of a simple stapling operation to the webbing strip end and in driving position with respect thereto in a preliminary operation, whereby the operator (or machine) charged with the duty of completing the fastening is required only to drive the fastener into the opening provided to receive it in the tubular frame.

The above and other objects and advantages of the fastening of the present invention will appear more fully in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying illustrative drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a broken-away plan view of a chair seat fashioned from interlaced fabric or plastic webbing strips secured at their both ends to the tubular metal framing of the chair;

Figs. 2-5 inclusive are fragmentary perspective views illustrating variants of one main form of securing a fastener to an end of a webbing strip in a preliminary operation according to the invention as conditions the strip for simple completion of the fastener;

-l 'atenitecl Apr. 11, 1961 Figs. 6-8 inclusive are similar fragmentary views illustrating variants of another main form of securing a fastener to an end of a webbing strip in a preliminary operation as aforesaid, with Figs. 6A-8A being vertical sections taken through the same;

Figs. 9-11 are. perspective views illustrating modified forms of fasteners for use in place of the fastener shown in Figs. 2-4 inclusive.

Figs. 12 and 13 are sections taken through a tubular frame member to which an end of a webbing strip is to be fastened, which illustrates a preferred configuration of the so-called snugging edge or edges of the opening provided therein to receive the webbing-strip end and associated fastener; and

Figs. 14-17 inclusive are transverse sections taken through completed webbing strip-to-tubing fastenings using the fastener-to-webbing strip forms of preliminary attachment shown in Figs. 2-5 inclusive.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates the fastening of the present invention applied to secure the ends of the interlaced fabric or plastic webbing strips 16 making up the seat (or back) of a tubular metal chair to the tubular framing 12 thereof which, for convenience, is referred to hereinafter as the tubing. As is customary for appearance sake, the webbing strips are secured to the under (or rear) side of quadrant of the tubing and thus wrap about the outer and upper peripheral portions thereof, but this partial wrapping of the webbing strips about the tubing is not essential to the herein proposed fastening.

As will be understood from a consideration of Figs. 14-17 inclusive, the fastening of the invention employs a drive-type fastener, one form of which generally designated 14 is illustratively shown in Figs. 2-4 inclusive. More particularly, such a fastener has T-section as defined by a cross-bar portion 1441 serving as the fastener head and a vertical leg portion 14b serving as the fastener shank, and, rather than being formed as a round or square nail, for example, it is generally planar in form and has rectangular configuration and as viewed in front elevation its major dimension is widthwise. Preferably also, is shank 14b is formed on both side faces with transversely extending flukes or barbs 14c of wedge section extending the full width thereof, the widest portions of which are oversize with respect to the width of a slot or opening provided therefor in the tubing 12 and are moreover spaced relatively inwardly from the fastener head a distance which is greater than but does not substantially exceed the thickness of the tube wall. Being a drive-type fastener as aforesaid, it will be understood that when driven into its appropriately undersized slot or opening as aforesaid, the fastener self-locks itself to the tubing by the high spreading force which it exerts on the side edges of the opening, plus the locking action of the flukes 14c against the under corners of the edges or lips of said opening.

As generally indicated in Fig. 1, and as further seen in Figs. 12-17 inclusive, the tubing 12 is provided on its under or rear quadrant with a series of slot-like openings 20 disposed in axially spaced relation therealong. As above indicated, these openings are slightly undersize with respect to the fasteners 14 which are adapted to be driven thereinto, and preferably also, at least one side edge of the openings is curled inwardly, in the fabrication of the openings, to provide what for convenience will be referred to hereinafter as a snugging edge. Referring to Fig. 12, one edge 20a of the opening is formed as a snugging edge aforesaid whereas in Fig. 13, both edges 20a, 20b are formed as snugging edges.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the fasteners 14 are secured in place to the ends of their webbing strips in a preliminary operation which combines each webbing strip and its two fasteners into an assembly unit. That is to say, the webbing strips are supplied to-the operator who or machine which is to complete the fastening with a fastener 14 attached to each end thereof, and the fastener is moreover positioned with respect thereto for the driving operation. While such preliminary attachment of fasteners to webbing strips may be effected .numerous ways, the following forms of attachment, each well suited -to production requirements, will be described in detail.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, each illustrating a preliminary attachment procedure and the resulting intermediate product reaching the driving operator or the machine performing the driving operation, a fastener 14 is shown to be attached to the end of the webbing strip by a conventional wire staple 24 extending across the shank 14b of the fastener and serving only to attach said fastener in place initially and during the fastenerdriving operation. These views further illustrate that the end of the webbing strip has been formed to a point 100 (which need not be a perfect point) as by folding the end corners thereof inwardly against the under face of the strip, Fig. 2 illustrating the fastener attached to the under side and Fig. 3 illustrating the fastener attached to the outer face of the point, at a location thereof which results in the fastener being set back a small distance from the apex of said point. Obviously, the staple 24 which secures the fastener to the webbing-end point 10:: may also be utilized to secure together the in-folded corners of the webbing, strip, thereby maintaining the point at least during its insertion into its tubing opening 20. Figs. 2 and 3 under description also illustrate that the width of the fastener 14 may be substantially less than the width of the webbing strip 10, and accordingly, the minimum of material is used in fabricating the fasteners, and the axial length of the tubing Opening 20 is kept small as is desirable in some applications of the fastening. At the same time, the advantages of a pointed end on the webbing as facilitates initial insertion of the Webbing point into its tubing opening 20 are realized.

According to the alternative fastener-attachment procedure illustrated in Fig. 4, the fasteners 14, rather than being attached flush against the outer sides of the pointed ends as in Figs. 2 and 3, are insteadvso attached that they are substantially enclosed and hidden Within the pocket formed by the under-folding of the webbing endcorners as aforesaid. However, it will be appreciated that the fastener head 14a is accessible for fastener-driving purposes through the open end or mouth of the pocket.

Upon the webbing strips 10 with fasteners 14 attached to the ends thereof in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2-4 reaching the operator who or the machine which is to complete the fastener, each webbing-end point 10a is threaded into its tubing opening 20 and thereby the attached fastener is positioned in substantial registry with said opening. Upon the fastener being driven inwardly through said opening 20 to its final position shown in Fig. 14, wherein it is disposed substantially diameterwise of the tubing, it acts in the first instance much as a spreading wedge and thereby firmly clamps the Webbing against at least the edge of the opening opposite the snugging edge 20a. Also, upon the webbing strip being wrapped back over the fastener head 14a as shown, any weight placed on the webbing strip will snug the fastener against the snugging edge 20a, with the result that the fastener fluke 140 on the side of said edge positively locks therewith. When the fastener 14 attached as illustrated in Fig. 3 is driven into its tubing opening 20 as in Fig. 15, the fastening is not only as effectively completed as in Fig. 14, but also it possesses an increased holding power due to the fact that the fastener, in snugging against the snugging edge 20a, clamps the end of the webbing strip against said edge with a clamping power which increases with the load placed on the webbing strip. And when a fastener 14a attached as in Fig. 4 is driven into its tubing opening 20 as in Fig. 16, it in effect exercises a two-way grip on the webbing strip, i.e. it clamps both the outer smooth and the inner or infolded sides of the webbing point against both side edges of the tubing opening 20, and it also snugs against the snugging edge 20a when weight or load is applied to the webbing strip.

Instead of the fasteners being formed exactly as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, they may also be formed as in Figs. 9, l0 and 11. Referring to Fig. 9, the fastener shank 14b is provided intermediate its driving edge and the flukes 14c with opposite edge cuts a and b which serve to receive and position the staple 24 when the latter is threaded therethrough. Or, instead of the edge cuts, the fastener shank 14b may be provided with staple-leg receiving holes 0 and d arranged as shown in Fig. 10. The fasten-shank 1412 may also be formed as in Fig. 11, i.e. with the flukes 14c extending downwardly to and terminating in a pointed driving edge 14d which of course adds strength to both the flukes and driving edge.

Another and perhaps simpler form of fastener and fastener-in-tubing setting means than as previously described is shown in Figs. 5 and 17, respectively. As seen in Fig. 5, the modified fastener 34 consists of a simple wedge of vertical T-section, thus having a driving head 34a and a shank 34b, which latter, while preferably tapered, is smooth-faced rather than being provided with flukes corresponding to the flukes 14s of the aforementioned fastener 14. The modified fastener is further pierced with a pair of holes similar to those designated 0 and d in Fig. 10 fora staple 36 serving to preliminarily attach the fastener to its webbing point, as with the previously described fastener. However, it is a feature of the modified fastener and fastening that the staple 36 serves, in place of the aforesaid flukes 14c, the additional and highly important function of locking the fastener and thereby the webbing-strip end in place following driving of the fastener. In explanation, the staple 36 is a relatively heavy one so that when finally clinched to the fastener shank 34b its overall thickness is greater than the width of the tubing slots. Also, the staple- Teceiving holes are placed close to the head 34a of the fastener, being spaced from the under side of the head a distance only slightly greater than the wall thickness of the tubing 12. Thus, when the fastener 34, following its being previously stapled to a webbing-strip end 10, is driven home in its tubing opening 20 (having both its edges 20a and 2% formed as snugging edges) to complete the fastening in the manner shown in Fig. 17, the staple 36 is also driven through the opening, whereupon it snugs against both snugging edges thereof.

According to another form (and variant thereof) for attaching a fastener corresponding generally to the aforesaid fasteners 14 and 34 to a webbing-strip end 10, reference is had to Figs. 6-8A inclusive. First considering the Figs. 6 and 6A construction, such illustrates a fastener 44 fashioned from a material, i.e. plastic, and having shape which combine to enable the fastener to be secured flat against the end of the webbing strip as by gluings, cementing, heat-sealing, and like adhering procedures common in securing a plastic thing to a piece of fabric. Accordingly, the fastener is made of plastic material with a head 44a and a fluke 44c terminating in a pointed driving edge 44a as per the prior described fasteners, and

.it is also completely flat on one side 446, thus to increase the area of its contact with the webbing strip 10. Such a plastic fastener may then be adhered to the webbing strip by any one of the aforementioned adhering procedures Where the width of the fastener 44 is but a fraction of the width of the webbing strip, as in Fig. 6, the end corners of the strip may be folded over or under along the broken lines x, y thereby to form the end of the strip to a point, or the fastening may be completed with the end of the Webbing strip left flat or unfolded, by driving the fastener and flat webbing end into a tubing opening corresponding to the aforesaid tubing openings 20 but having the greater length corresponding to the full width of the webbing strip.

According to the Figs. 7 and 7A variant, the fastener designated 54 corresponds in all respects to the aforesaid fastener 44 as respects its section and being made of plastic material and being adhered to the webbing-strip end, but it differs therefrom in its width. More particularly, its width corresponds to that of the webbing strip and it is adhered to said strip across the corresponding full width thereof. As with the Figs. 6 and 6A fastening, the Figs. 7 and 7A fastening requires a tubing opening 28 of length corresponding to the width of webbing strip and fastener 54.

According to the Figs. 8 and 8A variant, the fastener 64, which per se corresponds to the aforesaid fastener 44 of the Figs. 6 and 6A variant, extends from a face of a sheet-form plastic backing member 66, the fastener and its backing member being preferably formed in one piece by an injection-molding operation. The aforesaid backing member is shown to have generally triangular form corresponding in shape and size to that of'the pointed end liia of a webbing strip 14), and it is adhered preferably to the smooth outer face of the point by an appropriate one of the adhering procedures discussed above.

While the above suggests that the Pigs. 68A fastener will be made of plastic, it is to be understood that this suggestion should not be interpreted to exclude such fasteners being made from metal, since a metal fastener having a large flat rear surface may be adhered, for example by cementing, to the webbing strip Without undue difficulty. So also, the earlier described fasteners 14- and 34 may be made from any appropriate material, i.e. metal, plastic, etc. suitable for and enabling said fastener to be driven into an under size tubing opening and, when so driven, to effect a secure fastening of the webbing strip to the tubing.

It is also to be understood that while the preliminary attachment of fastener to webbing-strip end as described above is a feature of advantage in that it facilitates and simplifies completion of the fastening, this preliminary attachment may be dispensed with as may be necessary, and the fastening instead made by first inserting the end, either square or pointed, of the Webbing strip into its tubing opening 29 and thereupon driving the fastener (made according to any of the forms thereof described above) in said opening, thereby to positively secure the webbing-strip end in place.

Without further analysis, it will be appreciated that the webbing strip-to-tubing fastening in its various forms as described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings satisfies the objectives set forth in simple yet highly effective and dependable manner. However, as many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fastening of the character described comprising a tubular frame member having a slot-like opening, a flexible webbing strip a drive-type fastener comprising a flat shank portion and a wedge-like part extending laterally from the approximately medial portion of said shank, said shank having appreciable width dimension and being disposed in face engagement with an end portion of the webbing strip, said opening having width slightly less than the combined thickness of the fastener and webbing-strip end portion engaged thereby, said fastener and webbingstrip end portion extending through said opening into the tubing and being disposed substantially radially thereof and said fastener having a drive fit in'said opening whereby to clamp said webbing against at least one side edge of said opening. 1

2. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said end portion of the webbing strip against which the fastener engages is shaped as a point.

3. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the webbing strip against which the fastener engages is shaped as a point defined by the outer end corners of the strip being folded under and lying against one face of the strip, and wherein the fastener is disposed against the other face of the strip end-portion defining said pointed end.

4. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the webbing strip against which the fastener engages is shaped as a point defined by the outer end corners of the strip being folded under and lying against the under face of the strip, and wherein the fastener is disposed against the under-f0lded side of the pointed end.

5. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the Webbing strip against which the fastener engages is shaped as a point defined by the outer end corners of the strip being folded in under the strip proper and forming therewith a pocket, and wherein the fastener is substantially contained within the pocket.

6. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a driving head and a shank and said shank is provided on at least one face with a fluke serving to lock the fastener against unintentional removal from the tubing when drive fitted in said opening.

7. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the webbing strip against which said fastener part engages is shaped as a point and said fastener is secured in face engagement with the pointed end portion of the webbing strip as aforesaid by means of a staple.

8. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fastener is secured in face engagement with the end portion of the webbing strip as aforesaid by means of a staple and said staple has width greater than that of the slot and is carried by the fastener shank near its relatively outer end whereby following setting of the fastener the staple engages against the inside edges of the opening and thereby locks the fastener to the tubing.

9. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fastener is adhered to the end portion of the webbing strip so as to have face engagement therewith as aforesaid.

10. A drive-type fastener for use in a webbing stripto-tubing fastening comprising a fastener backing having the form of a wedge and an integral fastener carried by said backing on a face thereof, the fastener having a head and a shank, the shank having a locking fluke extending across one side face thereof, said backing adapted to be adhered to an end of the webbing strip in face engagement therewith.

11. For use in a webbing strip-to-tubing fastening, an assembly unit comprising a webbing strip, an end of which is to be fastened to a tubing by being driven through a slot-like opening provided therefor in the tubing wall and thereby clamped to at least one edge of said opening, and a drive-type fastener for driving and clamping said webbing-strip end as aforesaid, said fastener having a driving head and an elongated substantially flat shank and wedge means extending laterally from an approximately medial portion thereof, said fastener being attached substantially flat against a face of the webbing strip adjacent its said end so as to lie substantially in the plane of said webbing strip.

12. An assembly unit for a fastening substantially as set forth in claim 11, wherein the fastener is secured by stapling to the webbing end.

13. An assembly unit for a fastening substantially as set forth in claim .11, wherein the fastener is adhered to the webbing end.

14. An assembly unit for a fastening substantially as set forth in claim 11, whereinthe end corners of the webbing strip are folded in under the strip proper so as to define a point and the fastener is attached to said pointed end.

15. A fastening of the character described comprising a frame member in the form of a length of tubing having a slot-like opening, a flexible webbing strip, a drive-type fastener disposed in face engagement with an end portion of the Webbing strip, said fastener having an elongated substantially flat shank and a wedge-like part extending laterally from an approximately medial portion of said shank, said opening having narrower width than the combined thickness of said fastener part and webbingstrip end portion engaged thereby, said fastener and webbing-strip end portion extending through said opening into the tubing and being disposed substantially radially thereof and the wedge-like part of the fastener positively locking said fastener to the tubing and further clamping the webbing-strip end portion against at least one side edge of said opening.

16. A fastening substantially as set forth in claim 15, wherein the end portion of the webbing strip against which said fastener part engages is shaped as a point.

17. A drive-type fastener for uese in, fastening a webbing strip to a length of tubing comprising a fastener body of generally rectangular configuration as viewed in front elevation and having a driving head, an elongated substantially fiat shank and a fluke extending across the approximately medial portion of at least one face of said shank, said fluke being spaced relatively downwardly from the head a predetermined distance which correspond substantially to the wall thickness of said tubing, said fluke serving to lock the fastener in place when driven into an opening provided therefor in the tubing.

18. A drive-type fastener substantially as set forth in claim 17, wherein the fastener has a T-section transverse cross-section, the longer vertical leg thereof forming the aforesaid shank portion and being provided with a fluke on each side face thereof and the shorter horizontal leg forming the driving head portion, said shank portion and fiukes tapering to a driving edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 118,079 Watkins Aug. 15, 1871 575,157 Howell Ian. 12, 1897 637,720 Ellis Nov. 21, 1899 1,560,029 Erickson Nov. 3, 1925 1,724,946 Maclnerney Aug. 20, 1929 2,036,772 Plunkett Apr. 7, 1936 2,097,965 Caulk Nov. 2, 1937 2,622,663 Burd Dec. 23, 1952 2,629,432 Hanslick Feb. 24, 1953 2,655,707 Rubin Oct. 20, 1953 2,667,675 Brutti Feb. 2, 1954 2,832,399 Varkala Apr. 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,138,818 France Feb. 4, 1957 

